Toni Nadal commented on his nephew's decision to end his career, explaining Rafa's plan. The legend wished to embrace one last push on his beloved clay this spring. It ended with one small ATP final and early defeats at Roland Garros and the Olympic Games.

The Swiss tennis player paid tribute to Rafa Nadal after he announced his retirement, both men having one of the great rivalries.

The following is Rafa Nadal's retirement statement in which the 22-times Grand Slam champion said on Thursday that he would end his career at the Davis Cup next month:

The sports world reacts to 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal announcing he will retire from tennis after next month’s Davis Cup finals

Rafael Nadal, one of the most successful and admired tennis players in history, has amassed a considerable fortune throughout his career, both from his on-court achievements and lu

Rafa Nadal, now 38, said his farewell tennis tournament will come next month when he represents Spain in the Davis Cup finals.

Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis star, announced Oct. 10 he will retire after next month's Davis Cup finals. Known for his unrelenting style of play, he was one of the greats of the game in an era that included rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

After a 23-year professional tennis career, Spanish star Rafael Nadal called it a career Thursday, announcing that he was retiring from the ATP tour. More from Rolling Stone How to Watch Ariana Grande and Stevie Nicks on 'SNL' Tonight Without Cable Ohio State vs.

In a new video posted to social media, Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from professional tennis, with the Davis Cup finals being his final tournament.